Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant loading up on specials after remodeling
Snug Harbor Waterfront is celebrating its reopening today and throughout this week on Fort Myers Beach with a number of specials after closing for a couple days to splash on new coats of paint and to remodel.
Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant co-owner Peter Ennis has planned a big day, week and season for the open-air restaurant tucked under the cool protection of shade, bamboo and fans along the waterfront looking out over an idyllic, expansive view of Matanzas Pass.
The popular restaurant, where views of dolphins, pelicans and boats abound, will celebrate its reopening tonight with live music from Ragady Lapsey, a reggae group, from 5 to 8:30.
The restaurant will reopen at 4 p.m.
Those who stop by to eat today will get a $5 off card for any future visit. The restaurant is also offering half-price appetizers through Sunday with the purchase of two meals.
Other specials to look out for are stone crabs, with stone crab season beginning Oct. 15. Ennis said the stone crabs are popular with customers as only their claws are harvested, preserving the life of the crab. The claws regrow, providing a renewable delicacy for seafood eaters. “Last year was a very good stone crab season,” he said. “Sometimes they can be hard to find.”
Snug Harbor Waterfront has benefited from its access to the freshest of seafood caught in the Gulf by co-owner Nick Ruland as well as the wild-caught pink Gulf shrimp from Fort Myers Beach shrimp kings Erickson & Jensen Seafood.
Its docks make it easy for boat deliveries as well as for boating customers. The restaurant has 180 square feet of docks and can accommodate between 16 and 20 average-size boats.
“We have the best seafood on Fort Myers Beach,” Ennis said.
Some of the most popular items on the menu are the grouper, shrimp salad, blue fin tuna, calamari, mussels, barbecue back ribs, cajun chicken, firecracker shrimp and flatbread pizza.
“Chef Jeff Rizzo does a lot of sauces and grouper sauces, mixing things up,” Rizzo said. The restaurant will switch up specials depending on the catch of fish that comes in, whether it be red snapper, tilefish or tripletail. Rizzo handpicks the fish the restaurant buys.
Ennis, who also runs Wahoo Willie’s and Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant, said he is working closely with the business group What’s Up FMB? to boost tourism and attract more visitors to the island as the town continues to recover from Hurricane Ian. A paper lantern parade is being planned for Nov. 15.
Business has been steady, growing each year since Hurricane Ian, Ennis said. The business, along with their neighbors at Wahoo Willie’s, were able to bounce back relatively quickly after Ian. He said the restaurants have benefited from the Bayside Park concert series, where free concerts are held at the town’s Old San Carlos Boulevard park every Friday and Sunday.
“We’re so thankful to have a clean weather summer. We are really looking forward to a good fall, winter and spring season,” Ennis said. “Fort Myers Beach is coming back strong.”
Other specials Ennis recently announced is a “regulars day” for each Wednesday where customers with a Snug Harbor hat or shirt will get a free second drink.
Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant is located at 645 Old San Carlos Boulevard and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.